Cam



April 17, 1934. A. G. GILBERT 1,955,233

CAM

Filed Sept. 26, 1932 INVENTOR:

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Patented Apr. 17, 1934 CAM Alfred G. Gilbert, South Acton, Mass.,assignor. to Reece Folding Machine Company, Boston, Mass, a corporationof Maine Application September 26, 1932, Serial No. 634,915

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a rotary cam, such as a cam turned by a shaftand operating through a roll or other follower to transmit motion with apredetermined timing to machine parts of va- 5 rious 'kinds; and to amachine in which the same is incorporated.

As an illustration may be mentioned the use of the present invention inmachines for infolding the blanks for collars, cuffs and the like,

for which use the invention has been practically developed and designed.In this and other classes of machine it is frequently desirable tochange or interchange the contour and resulting motion at one part of arotary cam relatively to or without alteration ofthe main or other partof the contour and resulting motion, such change consisting either in achange of timing, or a change of motion or throw, or both.

To avoid illustration of a complete machine embodying the cam of thisinvention reference will be made to certain prior patents in the foldingmachine art with which the invention might be used. In Dixon Patent956,950 of May 3, 1910, the die or templet is lowered and lifted throughlever and link connections by a cam G shown as an outside cam uponwhichthe roll or follower is held by the weight of the die or templet.The cam is contoured with a'dwell to hold the templet normally elevatedand with inclines to lower and raise the templet, and a cam portionbetween determining the lowered position of the templet and any verticalmotions to be caused during this part of the cycle. Without changing thegeneral lowering and lifting movements it may be desirable to changefrom time to time the cam contour which is in effect while the templetis down, due to various causes such as changes in thickness of blanks.Another illustration is Reece Patent 972,916 of October 18, 1910,wherein again the weight of the templet causes the follower to pressupon the periphery of "the lowering and lifting cam i and wherein whilethe templet is lowered certain slight vertical movements or pressuresare brought about, as indicated by the shown contour. A laterillustration is the Dixon Patent 1,648,450 of November 8, 1927, whereinthe weight of the templet causes the cam. roll to bear on the peripheryof the cam 81, which at a certain point in the 5 cycle causes thetemplet to be lifted bodily to a slight extent and redeposited upon theblank. Another instance is Dixon 1,797,641 of March 24, 1931, whereinthecam 33 has general portions for the lowering and lifting of thetemplet,

55 and special contours'operating while the templet is lowered to raiseor relax slightly the templet to facilitate its contraction. Analogousoperation of the infolders is similarly disclosed, these having generallifting and lowering movements to bring them to and from position andaddi- 60. tionally certain slight or minute movements for effectingpressure and thereafter lifting to relax pressure.

In machines of the class referred to there are frequent changes in theparticular kinds of work handled and in the particular requirements ofdifferent manufacturers, with the consequence that frequentreadjustments, or interchange of parts, have been necessary, and in thecases of the cams this not infrequently requiring entire interchange ofcams, and the maintaining at hand of sets of cams available for thedifferent conditions or adjustments to be encountered.

The main object of the present invention is to afford an adjustable camwhich will minimize or obviate the need of interchange of cams foreffecting minor changes of contour, timing and resultant movements. Inthe class of machines referred to this improvement effects an importantlabor saving in adapting the folding mago chines to various conditionsand demands of the work, referring either to templet cams, infolder camsor other cams; and similar principles are of utility in various otherclasses of machine, unnecessary to enumerate. Further objects and 35advantages of the present invention will be pointed out in thehereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment thereofor will be understood to those conversant with the subject.

To the attainment of such objects and advan- 99 tages the presentinvention consists in the novel adjustable cam, and machine embodyingthe same, and the novel features of combination, construction andarrangement herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a face view of an adjustable camembodying the present invention and shown engaged by its roll orfollower, together with the principal parts of an infolding machineembodying such cam.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the cam shown in Fig. 1, takenon the section line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the inner or adjustable cam. part detached.

Similar reference numbers designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures. 7

Referring first to the accompanying machine parts the frame 5 of a blankinfolding machine may be of conventional form giving support to a fixedbed 6 on top of which is mounted the blank follower 21 is about to passposition 9 to 9 retained while the supporting surface or pad '7.Cooperating therewith to infold the margins of the blanks is a system ofinfolders 8 which are diagrammatically indicated, and the furtherdetails of which, and their mode of operation, may be ascertained byreference to well known infolding machines such as those shown in saidprior patents.

During infolding each blank is defined by a templet or die 9 comprisingusually a series of thin plates which may be expanded to the contour tobe infolded and may be contracted to withdraw from the infolds after theinfolders have moved inwardly. For convenience a templet has been shownsubstantially as in said Dixon Patent 956,950. It is the common prac-'se to lower the expanded templet upon the goods resting upon the bedpad and thereupon move inwardly the infolders to form the marginal foldsof the blank, followed by the retraction or contraction of the plates ofthe templet and there upon a squeezing action by which the folds arecreased and fixed by pressure between the infolders and the bed. It isfrequently desirable to afford a slight lifting or relaxing movement ofthe templet after the infolding and preparatory to the retraction of thetemplet, so that during the retraction the fabric will not be wrinkledor pulled out of place by the retracting movement.

The templet 9 is shown in full lines in its slightly elevated or relaxedposition ready for contraction. In dotted lines it is shown at 9 in itsfully lowered position bearing upon the fabric blanks and substantiallysupported by the bed. The slight lifting movement from position 9 toposition 9 may have to be adjustably varied for different conditions ofwork. After the successful contraction of the templet it may be swungupwardly clear of the bed to the dotted position 9', which will beuniform notwithstanding adjustments of the lowered and slightly elevatedpositions. conventionally the plates of the templet are shown mounted atthe lower ends of the carrier bars 10 which bars are slidingly mountedina templet body 11 which carries templet contracting devices operatedfor example by a bar 12. The entire templet and operating devices aremounted at the forward or free ends of a pair of carrying arms 13mounted upon a rear axle 14 journalled in an upstanding bracket 15 atthe rear of the machine frame. A rear arm 16 extends from the axle l4and this arm is connected by a'downwardly extending link 17 to the reararm 18 of a bell crank lever fulcrumed on an axle l9 and having itsforward arm 20 extended at an upward slant and carrying a roll 21bearing on the cam to be particularly described. The elements thus fardescribed are substantially conventional and well known.

Mounted in the lower part of the machine frame is the operating shaft25. This is formed with a keyway 26 occupied by a key or spline 27 uponwhich is engaged a cam disk 28, the hub 29 of which is formed with acomplementary keyway 30 engaging the key 27. These parts and the camdisk may be permanently secured in place upon the shaft by a set screw31.

The cam disk 28 carries a cam surface or flange comprising a dwellportion 33 which is followed by an inward incline or slant 34 and ispreceded by an outward slant or rise 35, the cam and shaft turningclockwise as seen in Fig. 1, where the on to the rise 35, of the templetfrom this elevated position being cam roll is in engagement which willeffect the elevation disk and leading directly to the with the dwell 33,the incline 34 subsequently allowing the templet to be lowered bygravity to its full lowered position 9*. The cam flange 35-33-34 is seento occupy less than 360, the portion corresponding with the loweredposition of the templet being vacant except as occupied by theadjustable cam part to be described. Usually the main cam surface may bean open or outside cam, gravity holding the roll to the cam. The camhowever might be a closed cam with the roll controlled in bothdirections, and the drawing illustrates an exterior or confining camportion 37 of short angular extent having a slant 38 corresponding withthe slant 34 and a dwell 39 corresponding with the full lowered positionofthe templet, so that during this part of the action the templet ispositively lowered and held down upon the bed without reliance upongravity.

The main cam 28 is shown as having an area 41 of reduced thickness, theinner edge of this bounded by a circular shoulder 42 enclosing a partialcircular recess 43 within which is accommodated the shiftable cam part45 determining the position, the motions and the timing of the templetduring the part of the cycle while the templet is lowered and when thecam roll 21 is between the main cam slants 34 and 35. The shiftable campart 45 has a hub 46 and is interiorly formed with a number of keyways4'7, any one of which may be engaged with the key 2'7, and with setscrews 48 engaging in threaded holes 49 by which in any adjustment thecam part 45 may be fixedly secured to the shaft 25.

The adjustable or inner cam part 45 is shown as divided into fourperipheral sections, and with four keyways 47 determining which of thecam sections is to be in operative position and act upon the cam roll21. According to conditions the number of cam sections and keyways mightbe increased to five or six or more, affording that many adjustments andsets of conditions of the cam.

It will be noted that notwithstanding any adjustments of the shiftablecam part 45 the templet lifting and lowering movements and the fullyelevated templet position are constant. There is no need for adjustmentin the operating train of connections and while the link 17 is shownadjustable in length it would be impracticable to secure the desiredchanges through adjustment thereof, and the present invention operatesby the mere shift of the inner cam part 45 from one to another of itsseveral positions.

The upper side of the shiftable cam part is shown in Fig. 1 as ineffect. It comprises a lower dwell 50 following a short continuation ofthe main cam slant 34. When the roll is running on the dwell 50 thetemplet is in its fully lowered position and during this part of thecycle the infolders will operate. Following the dwell 50 is a slightincline or rise 51 which causes a corresponding rise of the cam roll andthe slight lift of the templet from position 9 to 9. After the cam rise51 follows a dwell 52 during which the templet may be contracted. 'I'hisdwell in turn is followed by a short dwell 53 from which the cam rollpasses on to the main cam incline 35 which operates to lift the templetfrom position 9 to 9*. Each of the four sections of the cam part 45 maybe similarly constructed with a lower dwell 50, 50 etc., a slant 51etc., a higher dwell 52, 52 etc., and atop surface 53, 53* etc.preferably contacting the shoulder 42 of the main cam incline or rise 35of the main cam. The respective adjustments ill) are simply made byloosening the setscrews 48 of the shiftable cam part 45, sliding the campart endwise until it has disengaged the key, turning it until theselected keyway alines with the. key, restoring the cam part endwise toposition, and retightening the set screws.

The difference between the several sections of the shiftable cam partmay reside in the different depths or heights of the several portions ofthe contour, and the timing thereof. For example all of the lower dwells50, 50 etc. may if desired be at the same effective height, so that thetemplet always descends to the'same point 9 The higher dwells 52, 52etc. however may all be at different heights, as shown, so that therelaxed or slightly elevated position 9 of the templet may be adjustablyvaried up or down between four different positions or adjustments,according to the work to be performed or the conditions encountered. Thenormal lowered position of the templet is thus constant, as well as thefully elevated position, and due to the rigid character of the main camthe general lowering of the templet and its subsequent lifting remainunchanged, the adjustments relating wholly to the delicate operations ofthe templet in shifting between its fully lowered position and itsslightly relaxed or lifted position. Manifestly the timing of the slightlift may be changed by a shift of the cam rise 51, while the liftedposition is changed by the elevation of the dwell 52 as described, andif desired the fully lowered position could be adjusted by reason ofdifferences in the radii of the lower dwell 50.

A result is thus permitted which is not obtainable either by adjustmentof the transmitting connections or by bodily adjustment of the entirecam on the shaft. As stated it has been customary to change an entirecam for a different one, with great labor; and this invention largelyobviates such difficulty and permits ready and quick adjustment asbetween several differentconditions, without detachment of parts, and bythe mere loosening of the adjustable cam part, its retraction, rotation,restoration and attachment to the shaft.

There have thus been described a rotary cam and a machine embodying thesame which em body the principles andattain the advantages of thepresent invention. Since various matters of combination, arrangement andconstruction may be modified without departing from the principles ofthe invention, it is not intended to limit the same to such mattersexcept so far as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary shaft cam for timed operation of machine parts, the samecomprising a plurality of cam parts affording a combinedcontour foractuation of a follower, namely an outer cam part fixed to the shaft,and an inner cam part being attached in a manner to permit itsindependent loosening and relative adjustment and reattachment, andadapted to be rotated into different adjustments when loosened, theshaft having a key and the rotatable inner cam part having severalkeyways selectively engageable with the key; whereby the inner portionof the total contour can be adjustably altered without altering theremainder of the contour of the cam.

2. A rotary cam for the timed operation of machine elements, the samecomprising a main cam part having an interrupted exterior contour, and asubordinate cam part occupying the interruption of the main cam contourand operating consecutively with the main cam and affording therewith acombined contour for the actuation of a follower and connected elements,the subordinate cam part having plural key-and-way means fixing itsrelation to the main cam part, whereby the subordinate cam part isloosenable and rotatable between different positions for adjustment ofits effective contour and again fixed, whereby the action of the cam atthe subordinate contour may be adjustably altered without changing theaction of the main cam part.

3. A cam as in claim 2 and wherein the subordinate cam part comprisesseveral contour portions of differing contour selectively adjustableinto operative relation to the main cam part.

4. A rotary shaft cam for timed operation of machine parts, the samecomprising a plurality of cam parts affording a combined contour foractuation of a follower, namely an outer cam part fixed to the shaft,and an inner cam part being attached in a manner to permit itsindependent loosening and relative adjustment and reattachment, andadapted to be rotated into different adjustments when loosened, theshaft and the rotatable inner cam part being connected by severalselectively engageable key and keyway devices; whereby the inner portionof the total contour can be adjustably altered without altering theremainder of the contour of the cam.

ALFRED G. GILBERT.

